Hillary Clinton: Electing Republican President Would Mean Repeal of Obamacare

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July 3, 2015, 8:56 PM GMT / Updated July 3, 2015, 9:00 PM GMT

By Phil Helsel

Hillary Clinton on Friday warned New Hampshire voters that a Republican president would mean the end of President Barack Obama’s health care overhaul.

"If the country elects a Republican president, then they will repeal the Affordable Care Act," Clinton told a crowd of about 850 at Dartmouth University.

Clinton said she was "thrilled" with the recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling that rejected a challenge to the act, and she said she would defend the law. "Where there are glitches, we need to address those, but this is a fundamental issue of fairness and humanity," Clinton said.

On the economy, Clinton said the Republican Party "keeps using the same old tired failed policies." She said the country needs to increase investment in science and technology, including green energy.

Clinton said she hopes talks with Iran over its nuclear program yield a deal that "puts the lid on Iran’s nuclear weapons program" — but said that even if such a deal is reached, "we will still face major problems from Iran."

Clinton also weighed in on gun control. President Barack Obama raised the topic in comments he made in the aftermath of a deadly attack on a the historic black church Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, in which nine people killed nine people in what authorities have said was a hate crime.

"We have to take on the gun lobby one more time," Clinton said. "At the very least, we need to keep guns out of the hands of domestic abusers, people with serious mental challenges, terrorists, all of whom now are perfectly free to go and find a gun somewhere," she said.

"This is a controversial issue, I am well aware of that," Clinton said. "But I think it is the height of irresponsibility not to talk about it. So I will talk about it."

Clinton’s Democratic rival, Bernie Sanders, drew a crowd of 10,000 in Madison, Wisconsin, earlier this week. Sanders said Friday in an email to supporters that he would release a series of policy proposals in the next few weeks "to address the major issues facing our nation."

"I think he's pushing her to address some issues and I think that will be all for the good," Sybil Buell, a Norwich, Vermont, resident who attended the Clinton event, told The Associated Press. Buell said she was "on the fence" over whether to support Clinton or Sanders in the early stages of the campaign.